All But A Dream
by eena-angel2001
Summary: At night, she dreams of a world without Katherine . . .


Title: All But A Dream . . .  
Author: Eena  
Disclaimer: I disclaim.  
Pairing: Damon/Caroline  
Spoilers: Season 2 ish  
Summary: At night, she dreams of a world without Katherine . . .

At night, she dreams of a world without Katherine.

~0~

The first one is innocuous; a fairly typical sort of dream.

It's her wedding day, and it's a sight to see. The flower arrangements are breathtaking and the quaint little church is almost too elegant. She's a vision in white lace, her wedding gown resembling the Vera Wang gown she had seen in a recent magazine. Her hair is up and her veil is pulled down over her face. She walks with one arm laced through her father's, the other occupied with holding her bouquet of orchids close to her chest.

She feels nervous; she feels excited. Everyone she knows and loves is there.

"You look beautiful sweetheart," her father reassures her, raising her veil to kiss her lightly on the cheek. He hands her off to her intended, settling in the first row next to her mother. She watches with something like awe as her parents join hands and beam with pride up at her.

"It's happening, Caroline!" she hears Elena squeal from her spot next to Bonnie, both decked out in gorgeous blue dresses that signify their co-Maids of Honour status (this had been agreed upon long ago, on the playground, back when boys still had cooties). She smiles faintly at her friends, laughing delightedly when Bonnie gives her an enthusiastic thumbs-up.

It's all so perfect.

"Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to join this man and this woman, in holy matrimony . . ."

She turns, with joyful smile splitting her face, and looks at her soon-to-be husband.

Damon Salvatore smiles back and winks at her before turning back to the priest.

She wakes up screaming.

~0~

The next frightens her, because she knows what's coming before it actually happens.

She's still in Mystic Falls, but also not. There are people all around her and she doesn't know any of them. Everyone's wearing old-fashioned gowns and tuxedos-she is wearing her yellow Miss Mystic Falls dress. A quick glance in a nearby window shows that her hair is the same, as is the jewellery she's wearing and all the other accessories are the same too. She wrings glove-covered hands and gazes about at all the laughing people.

Where is she?

"There she is!" The voice is unfamiliar and causes her to jump. She turns quickly and sees an older man bearing down on her with a group of people not far behind. The man takes her hands in his and before she can get away, plants a quick kiss on her right cheek. He leans back and shoots her this smile that is way too proud for a man she's never met. "There's my beautiful daughter-in-law. Where did you and that son of mine run off to?"

She doesn't know this man, or the people smiling brightly at her. She certainly doesn't think she's his daughter-in-law, but this whole dream starts feeling more and more sinister with every second that ticks by. She opens her mouth, to say what she doesn't know, but snaps her lips closed when an arm suddenly goes around her waist and she's pulled back against a firm chest.

"My apologies, father," Damon, complete with curly black hair and a hint of a blush in his cheeks, takes her by the hand and presses a kiss to her palm. "I had to have her to myself, just for a few moments."

The man, Damon's father, just laughs. "I understand, my boy, I do. She's been good to you, and for you. A few minutes I won't begrudge, but this is a party. We can't have our guest of honour hidden the entire while."

There's a smattering of laughter and applause, and Damon's father kisses her cheek again before beckoning for her and Damon to follow.

"What is this?" she asks Damon, allowing him to guide her forward.

"Your birthday party, sweetheart," he answers easily with a blinding smile. "Father's been planning it for weeks. Of course, what else could you expect for his favourite daughter-in-law?"

She plants her feet and turns around to glare at him. "No, what is **this**?"

He smiles at her softly, tucking a stray curl behind her ear. "This is happily ever after."

Her room is cold when she wakes and she shivers in a way that has nothing to do with the chill.

~0~

The third is set at the Grill, and Damon's teaching her how to shoot pool.

"I know how to shoot pool," she argues, a breathy sort of giggle escaping her when he nuzzles her neck. He laughs lightly, but doesn't back off. Instead, he comes closer, plastering himself over her form, arms around her and his hands covering hers. He guides them into positions that she already knows and this is becoming more and more tedious, though she seems to be without the ability to express it.

"This doesn't make sense," she argues as he moves her to shoot for the corner pocket.

His lips kiss a trail from the side of her mouth up to her ear. "Does it need to?"

She sighs with contentment she doesn't feel. "This isn't real."

"It might be," he argues, this time moving his mouth to kiss her shoulder lightly. "It might have been, in another life."

She gives an ecstatic squeal when she manages to get the ball in, turns around and flings her arms around his neck in celebration. "We don't have another life," she gushes in between a flood of kisses. "And playing at this one only shows how sucky the real one is."

He clucks his tongue in disapproval. "Why do you have to be so difficult, Blondie?"

She smiles her best flirty smile and tugs him down for another kiss. "Because I still hate you," she whispers against his lips. "And this isn't happily ever after. This is happily never was."

He's sitting on her bed when she wakes. She glares at him, but he is stone-faced and unapologetic.

"It's an experiment," he defends himself. "In 'what ifs' and alternate realities."

"Why me?" is all she wants to know.

"Because, you'll let me keep doing it," he finally breaks with stoicism and smirks in that devil way of his. "Because, you can't really stop me."

"Damon, go bipolar on someone else," she tries her best to be intimidating. "I might not be able to stop you, but I don't have to make it easy either."

"That," he says as he gets to his feet, "is exactly the point."

~0~

In the next one, they're honeymooning in Paris. They stroll together, hand in hand, through the Parisian streets, looking lovey-dovey and completely at peace.

They stop for dinner. They feed each other off their own plates. They kiss in the candlelight. When dessert comes, she's got enough strength built up to take the dish and dump it all over his head.

"Still happily ever after?" she arches an eyebrow at him before running a finger through the cream dribbling down his face.

"Of course," he laughs and does nothing to clean himself of the mess. "But then again, I'm monumentally fucked-up."

She nods and licks the cream off her finger.

~0~


End file.
